§2102. Definitions

            As used in this Part:

            (1) "Department" means the Louisiana Department of Health.

            (2) "Hospital" means any institution, place, building, or agency, public or private, whether for profit or not, with facilities for the diagnosis, treatment, or care of persons who are suffering from illness, injury, infirmity, or deformity or other physical condition for which obstetrical, medical, or surgical services would be available and appropriate and which operates or is affiliated with facilities for the overnight care, observation, or recovery of those persons. The term "hospital" does not include the following:

            (a) Physicians' offices or clinics where patients are not regularly kept as bed patients for twenty-four hours or more.

            (b) Nursing homes as defined by and regulated under the provisions of R.S. 40:2009.1 through 2009.12.

            (c) Persons, schools, institutions, or organizations engaged in the care and treatment of children with intellectual disabilities and which are required to be licensed by the provisions of the Developmental Disability Law (R.S. 28:451.1 et seq.).

            (d) Hospitalization or care facilities maintained by the state at any of its penal and correctional institutions provided that nothing herein contained shall prevent a penal or correctional institution from applying for licensure of its hospitalization or care facility.

            (e) Hospitalization or care facilities maintained by the federal government or agencies thereof.

            (f) Hospitalization or care facilities maintained by any university or college provided that nothing herein contained shall prevent any college or university from applying for licensure of its hospitalization or care facility.

            (g) Any other entity licensed for the diagnosis, treatment, or care of persons admitted for overnight stay.

            (3) "Person" means the state, and any political subdivision or municipal corporation thereof, an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company, association or joint stock association, or the legal successor thereof.

            (4) "Secretary" means the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.

            Added by Acts 1961, No. 90, §1. Amended by Acts 1966, No. 524, §1; Acts 1977, No. 680, §56; Acts 1992, No. 806, §1; Acts 2014, No. 811, §22, eff. June 23, 2014; Acts 2018, No. 206, §4.